Dining Adventures

5 experiences in Ras Al Khaimah to take you on a culinary journey.

Ras Al Khaimah’s food scene is an eclectic variety spanning delicious fine dining, delectable street food, and everything in between. Here’s a number of foodie experiences that are highly recommended – from the unforgettable to the truly unique.

1. Local delicacy
Head to Al Fanar Restaurant & Café for an authentic Emirati feast. Serving both local dishes and popular pan-Arabic favourites, you’ll discover the best of the Gulf’s culinary scene. Be sure to order the machboos (meat or fish with rice cooked with special spices), thereed (a local stew) and fareed (vegetable stew with bread). For dessert, swing by Ashuk for a tasty creation. This ice cream parlour has been a UAE institution for decades, and is legendary in Ras Al Khaimah.

2. Life’s a beach
Many of Ras Al Khaimah’s hotels, including The Cove Rotana, offer private dining on the beach. The ultimate romantic setting, you’ll have your very own table for two set up on the seashore, with nothing but the lapping of the waves to serve as the soundtrack to an intimate fine dining meal. The set-up at the Cove Rotana includes a private cabana facing the sea, that’s enclosed on three sides to ensure total privacy.

3. All along the watchtower
Taking the concept of private dining to, quite literally, another level, is Al Wadi Desert Resort, where you can take in an atmospheric meal atop a traditional Arabian watchtower overlooking the sprawling dunes. Sitting at an intimate table for two that’s accessed by a spiral staircase, a dedicated waiter will take your order and leave you in total seclusion to absorb the tranquillity of the desert. The menu is tailored to each guest, offering cuisine of the top quality you would expect at a Ritz-Carlton partner hotel.

4. Dune it allBedouin Oasis Camp takes you back to the days that nomads wandered the deserts of Ras Al Khaimah – albeit with slightly more plush surroundings. Here you can experience an evening of true Arabian immersion with camel rides, tanoura dancing, falcon shows, henna painting, belly dancing and lots more entertainment all while enjoying a sumptuous buffet offering all the classic dishes of a traditional Arabic mezze.

5. What’s your beef
Lexington Grill at the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah transports you to the glory days of New York City – all plush leather furnishings and art deco trimmings. Headed up by chef Eric Turgeon, this is the only restaurant in the Middle East where you can enjoy his four-week air-dried beef cuts – a process that makes the meat more tender and flavourful. And make no mistake, this is an eatery that knows its beef, offering incredible steaks from the finest cuts.

Inspire Me

Disappear in the rugged mountains and wadis of southern Ras Al Khaimah for your second day. Pack your 4WDs and pick one of our recommended routes towards Masafi and experience a life far removed from the glitz and glamour of the cities.

Look closely at the trailer for the movie War Machine, starring Brad Pitt, and you’ll notice a familiar landscape. Those rocky highlands that form Afghanistan’s rugged terrain? None other than Ras Al Khaimah’s own stunning Hajar Mountains.